Rabat - Morocco’s Minister of General Affairs and Governance, Lahcen Daoudi, who has been in the news recently for his remarks on the boycott, participated in the government’s oral questions session on Tuesday.

Tarek Bazza is a journalist at Morocco World News with Master’s degree in Translation from King Fahd School of Translation in Tangier.

Jul 4, 2018

Rabat – Morocco’s Minister of General Affairs and Governance, Lahcen Daoudi, who has been in the news recently for his remarks on the boycott, participated in the government’s oral questions session on Tuesday.

Daoudi has returned to the forefront of the political scene. He answered questions from MPs in a plenary session of the House of Councilors.

The minister has taken up his old habit of quarrelling in Parliament. He quarreled with the councilors and entered into heated exchanges with the president of the Istiqlal party (Independence for Unity and Equality) in Parliament, Abdeslam Lebbar.

Lebbar asked about public affairs and the governance sector, particularly the “decline of Morocco’s middle class.”

“The middle class is suffering, unemployment is increasing dramatically, and the government is helpless. The endurance ability for this class is being lost, which is dangerous.” Lebbar also raised the issue of high prices and protests which “have become a common action.”

“Lack of social services, such as health and public education are affecting the people of the middle class, since they cannot afford to go to private institutions.”

Daoudi did not appreciate Lebbar’s interruption during his answers. Lebbar said that the government has failed on all social aspects. Daoudi reminded the councilor of the government’s achievements and that the government is challenged with a deficit from previous governments. He claimed that Lebbar wanted only to overstate the situation.

Daoudi had submitted his resignation on June 6 to the politburo of the PJD, the day after he participated in a sit-in organized for employees of Centrale Danone. The sit-in followed weeks of the boycott against three Moroccan companies: Centrale Danone, Sidi Ali, and Afriquia. Daoudi’s resignation still awaits the approval of King Mohammed VI to be effective.